STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Geelani said it was a brief interaction in which Wani had admitted having full faith in former's goal to achieve freedom for Kashmir

Separatist Hurriyat leader from north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, on Tuesday dropped a bombshell by claiming that Hizbul Mujhadeen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, whose death had led to violent clashes and protracted curfew in the state, had spoken to him few days before his death and reposed full faith in his leadership.

“Few days before his martyrdom, Burhan Wani spoke to me over phone and said he was very happy to talk to me since it was his long-pending desire,” Geelani said, while addressing his supporters who had marched to his residence on Tuesday

The Hurriyat leader said that it was a brief interaction and Burhan told him that “We on our side are trying our best to help this freedom struggle and I have full faith in you that you will also leave no stone unturned to attain the goal of freedom for the Kashmiri nation”.

Burhan was killed along with two of his associates in an encounter with security forces at Bamdoora village of Kokarnag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on July 8.

Kashmir has been simmering and around 49 people have been killed in security forces firing on the mobs since the unrest began. Around 2,228 policemen, 1,100 CRPF men and 2,259 civilians have been injured in the violence so far.

“Burhan was very young, very intelligent and matured Mujahid (militant) Commander whose sincerity exposed the Indian claims in Kashmir. The sacred blood of Hizb Commander has infused a new life into the freedom struggle. It was his sincerity and piousness which forced the people of the state to come out on the roads against India. Both his life as well as his martyrdom has shaken the Indian power houses,” Geelani said.

Hurriyat hardliner cautioned the people against the policies of the pro-Indian people who have different languages at the time of power and out of power.

“The height of the shamelessness is that these paid Indian agents openly accuse each other of killing the Kashmiri innocent people and compete on the argument “who killed more” in their respective regimes”, he said.

Geelani appealed to people not to give them (pro-India politicians) anymore chances to exploit the sentiments of the common Kashmiris.

“Everybody in the Jammu and Kashmir knows that the pro-Indian politicians are just stooges of New Delhi and they have nothing in their hands except to hike their own salaries and perks”, he said.